He reached the bottom of the track where it became a narrow beaten path through the trees, and a little while later he arrived at the secluded little wooded dell that was one of his favourite spots. On his walks or jogs around the property he’d often stop here to sit for a while among the ruins of the old medieval church. Plans to restore it to its former glory had never quite come about, and the tumbledown steeple and ivied walls were pretty much as they’d ever been, nestling quietly in the leaf-dappled shade of the woods. He settled on a wall with his legs dangling comfortably in space, lit a Gauloise and listened to the birds singing in the treetops. The stillness and serenity of this place had always invited him to reflect and find solace from life’s personal troubles. Sometimes it worked, but sometimes it didn’t.

Not all such troubles could be so easily forgotten.

These last few happy weeks with Abbie had provided a pleasant temporary reprieve to the nagging feeling, which had been eating at him for some time before, that he was no longer satisfied with his life here, and that it might be time to move on. Now that he was deprived of the comfort of Abbie’s presence by his side day and night, those restless thoughts threatened to come creeping back into his mind.

Paradoxically, it was thinking about her that had got him feeling that way again: Abbie’s very decisive and straightforward sense of her own direction in life had acted like a catalyst to make him ponder where he himself was going. He felt stuck in a rut, as though he was missing out on his life’s true purpose, as though his compass needle had stopped indicating north and his energies were somehow blocked and unfulfilled. What did the future hold for him? Right now, he truly couldn’t muster up any clear vision of it. He only felt that something was missing. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake the self-doubt from his mind.

At the same time he wondered, as he often had in the past, if all this self-reflection was good for him. It was a trait he’d always tended towards, not necessarily one he was proud of, and he’d often envied his friends Jeff and Tuesday for their uncomplicated view of life. He couldn’t share his feelings with them, because he knew what their response would be. Tuesday would just smile his dazzling smile and say, ‘Hey, man, you worry too much.’ Jeff would probably come out with something less complimentary. And now that Abbie was gone, there was nobody to confide in except the dog.

‘What do you think I should do, buddy?’ he asked Storm. But Storm just cocked his head to one side and said nothing, wisely keeping his opinion to himself.

‘Suit yourself,’ Ben said. ‘Thanks for the advice.’